Indian Railways launches technology to boost security

The Indian Railways has introduced infrared intruder alarm systems and surveillance drones to tighten security in railway stations across the country. The Western Railway Zone recently inaugurated the Infrared Intruder Alarm System at the RPF Zonal Armoury in Mahalaxmi, as well as the first flight of surveillance drones at the Mahalaxmi Railway Sports Ground. With the introduction of these technologies, the Western Railway zone's Railway Protection Force (RPF) department will gain an advantage in combating and controlling various issues that arise in the Mumbai suburban section. The Artificial Intelligence (Al) based Intruder Alarm System operates with seven Infra-Red based CCTV camera feeds, according to Western Railways. This ensures that the entire facility is covered. The feeds are analysed in real-time using Artificial Intelligence-based user interface software to detect any human presence in the area. To avoid false alarms, Artificial Intelligence is programmed to detect only human presence within a set perimeter while ignoring birds and other animals. The system also has a feature that sends a distress call, SMS or email to the security control to alert staff for quick response. With a quick response time and 24-hour coverage with night vision capability, the system will provide foolproof security to the area. Surveillance drones, according to Western railways, will aid in keeping a bird's eye view of railway assets, disaster management, and crowd management. In the event of an emergency, the drone, also known as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), can assist in reaching remote areas with minimal response time. They will be used to monitor sensitive crime hotspots in real-time, including yards and remote locations, crowded areas, and trespassing hotspots, to improve crowd management and crime control. The drones will be piloted by selected RPF personnel from the division. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle can fly for up to 25 minutes at a range of 2 km and up to 200 m above ground level. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles use a GPS-based auto waypoint navigation system to perform auto takeoff, guidance, and landing. It also has a 5X optical zoom camera as a payload, which allows it to capture high-resolution images. Image SourceAlso read: Indian Railways draws roadmap to achieve Rs 17.8k cr goal under NMP